


Lie Beside Me

by Shadows_of_Fire_and_Blood



Series: Roads Less Walked [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock BBC
Genre: 5 year age gap between the main pairing, Abuse, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Angst, Drama, Dysfunctional Sibling Relationship, F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of miscarriage, Moriarty is Crazy, Non-Sexual Slavery, Past Relationship(s), Reunions, Romance, Torture, does that count as an age gap tag?, past trauma, reconnecting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:54:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 20,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29356809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadows_of_Fire_and_Blood/pseuds/Shadows_of_Fire_and_Blood
Summary: Melody Onyx an old flame of Mycrofts' arrives back in London, and he just can't stay away, especially when he discovers her involvement with the notorious JIm Moriarty
Relationships: Mycroft Holmes/Original Character, Mycroft Holmes/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Roads Less Walked [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2156862
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	1. PROLOGUE

**Author's Note:**

> Set before my fanfic 'Of Road and Demons'  
> For those who are familiar with my OC Melody Onyx, this is the story of hers' and Ycrofts history and how they end up walking the same road yet again.
> 
> PLEASE forgive any inconsistancies in age/timeline - just remember the age gap between Melody and Mycroft is approx 5 years

A woman stood before her male companion, her fiery red hair pulled forward over her shoulder in a messy braid made with trembling fingers 

_“You love me”_

Her partner answered sternly

_“I don’t”_

_“Just listen-”_

_“I really do need to be going, I’m leaving next week”_

_The young man, no more than 24 years of age but dressed in a way that made him look far older, turned away but , the woman,, at 19 years old, roughly four and a half years younger than him, grasped his wrist urgently_

_“I’m pregnant,” she revealed, making her companion spin to face her and freeze in shock._


	2. Whisper Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody Onyx, an old acquaintance of Sherlocks' turns up unexpectedly, setting in motion a domino effect on the lives of those around her.

Mrs Hudson gave a troubled sigh as the shouting match ensuing in the flat above continued. Once again Sherlock was bored and John was refusing to give up the whereabouts of the detectives cigarettes. The landlady was relieved when she heard the doorbell ring, she prayed it was a client; anything to save the walls of 221B from being peppered with more bullets!

As though completely ignorant of the ensuing chaos a bored Sherlock was wreaking on the flat, John sat in his chair reading the newspaper.

Sherlock frantically rooted through drawers and cupboards in search of his cigarettes, shooting his pistol over his shoulder and groaning in frustration when he found nothing

A moments later Mrs Hudson entered after offering a cautious knock

“Someone to see you Sherlock, says she knows you dear.” She informed, Sherlock, who had been on the floor, checking under every available surface for a nicotine stick, spun on his knees to face the elderly woman

“Unless she’s a client or she has cigarettes she can go away!” he replied quickly before returning to his task

“Dear Sherlock, a world famous consulting detective and you still haven’t found your manners yet I see” 

The clear, feminine voice commented from the doorway, a young woman was dressed in smart black jeans, white, collared shirt and red flat shoes with a long black trench coat underneath, and a blood red scarf wrapped around her neck, minimal make-up, natural burnt orange hair that fell to the ridge of her shoulder blades. Eyebrows naturally shaped above jade green eyes. 

Sherlock stopped still as a statue for a few seconds before gliding to his feet

“Melody Onyx… you haven’t changed.” Sherlock declared

The woman countered with a quizzical expression 

“Implying the need?” she retorted, almost insulted.

John watched, shocked, as the two grinned and shared a brief hug

“So…you know this each other?” John asked in surprise, getting to his feet to greet their guest.

Sherlock stared him down

“Was that not clear? Honestly John, why do you always insist on pointing out the obvious?” he retorted irritably

“Oh, I knew Sherlock long before he became the internet phenomenon he is now.” the woman said

As she turned to face John, it gave Sherlock a chance to make a few deductions, noticing everything wrong with her; underneath her natural beauty she was underweight, she cut her own hair, she was trying to act natural but she was nervous… 

By this time Melody had caught him watching her and her smile faltered

“What…oh, of course, your deductions.” She chuckled.

Suddenly Sherlock’s phone buzzed and he excused himself before answering the text, stepping onto the coffee table and up onto the sofa. 

Neither John nor this mysterious woman from Sherlocks’ past acknowledged this, as though it were totally normal

So, er, Melody, yeah? How do you know Sherlock?” he asked

Melody started to respond

“Oh, we met when…” 

Before she could answer Sherlock vaulted over the coffee table using the momentum the soft sofa cushion offered, Melody and John jumped, narrowly avoiding getting jumped on by Sherlock who was now beaming as he clapped his hands together giddily

“Lestrade says he’s got something! Come on, John!” Sherlock said excitedly, opening the door, John grabbing his jacket to follow, only for Sherlock to dart back inside

“You’re coming too!” 

Melody found her hand being grabbed by Sherlocks, and she yelped as she was spun around, and tugged along with Sherlock and John on their latest case.


	3. This Ain't The End, Saw You Again

Several hours later Sherlock sighed in severe irritation as he exited one of the large interrogation rooms of Scotland Yard 

“Waste of time” he hissed

“The only mild abnormality was the brother and the lover being the same person” he finished

John looked disbelieving at his friend

“Mild abnormality…” he started to question only to be interrupted

Melody, walking quickly to keep up, sighed and tossed her hair back

“I know - I thought your cases were meant to be exciting, but that was just disappointing” she commented, sounding genuinely disappointed.

John shook his head

“Maniacs, I’m surrounded by bloody maniacs…” he murmured to himself.

Mycroft Holmes strode through the corridors of Scotland Yard with usual air of confidence,; his Ultra-level clearance had removed any obstacle between the building's entrance and the interview suites on the fourth floor, but he for all his intelligence and cleverness, he had no idea what he was about to walk into, or what lay in wait just around the nearest corner.

Unfortunately for Sherlock, John and Melody, they were unable to leave the Yard without running into Donovan, a detective on Greg Lestrades’ team that despised Sherlock immensly

“Lestrade give you a tasty enough bone to fetch today, then?” Donovan said, crossing her arms looking down her nose at Sherlock, who rolled his eyes

“Well this particular ‘bone’ was relatively easy to find, I’m sure even you could have managed it with only mild lasting brain damage.” Sherlock said with a smirk 

Donovan smirked, crossing her arms haughtily

“Well we can’t all be psychopaths now can we? But then, must be nice, getting treats when you do a good job as Lestrade’s pet  _ freak _ ”

Melody Onyxs’ gaze darkened and she march forward

“You know, it isn’t nice to call people names, women that sleep with married men really should be the last ones to be throwing out insults,” she said seriously.

Donovan’s smirk faded away for a moment

“Oh, did  _ he _ ...” she shot a pointed glare at Sherlock

“tell you that?” she demanded

The young women, shorter than Dovovan by several inches, shrugged and offered her a casual look of surprise

“No. You just came out of that office there, where your colleague is…”

Melody glanced through the large window of the room

“Zipping up his jeans apparently, Lovely...” she said with a mildly disturbed look.

“That and your lips are swollen from you’ve been kissing him, you’re the dominant one apparently. He has a wedding ring and you don’t so obviously you aren’t married to each other.” The mysterious woman explained

“Sherlock may be a...dickhead sometimes, but he can’t help it!” she shrugged.

John sniggered as Sherlock frowned deeply at as he comprehended the insult.

Donovan sneered spitefully

“Oh great, another freak for us to keep an eye on?”

Shifting and looking over the other woman, Melody went on

“But Sherlock at least possesses pride and some self-respect, something you clearly lack, by the looks of your knees and the overpowering smell of various men’s cologne practically radiating off of your skin. I mean, I assume you’re on duty and since your doing this in your work time, well...I wouldn’t want to say what that implies, but we all need our little side jobs to keep us afloat, don’t we?” she replied emotionlessly, finally taking a soft breath as she finished.

Donovan lifted her hand but before the slap could land on Melodys’ cheek, Donovan’s arm was caught in air and twisted up her back

“How dare you, you’ll be arrested for assault on an officer!” Donovan ground out between clenched teeth

Melody remained emotionless

“Technically you were about to hit me, so this is self-defence, and I know off by heart which moves can get you arrested and  _ this _ …” her eyes darted downward for a split second

“...isn’t one of them, and so long as you’re going with dog metaphors here, I’ll add  _ ‘Bitch _ ” to the end of that.!” Melody tightened her grip but not to a damaging degree.

Sherlock, smiling slightly, added

“Oh, and , you’d want witnesses’ to corroborate that Donovan, and er, Dr. Watson and I only saw you about to punch an innocent member of the public without reason, John?”

With a blank, mildly surprised expression, John glanced between the two women and Sherlock deemed it necessary to slap him upside the the head aid his brain function

John flinched but responded 

“Erm, yeah. Nope...I didn’t see anything to provoke a sergeant into attacking an innocent woman, and…” he rubbed the back of his head and gestured to the corner

“CCTV after all” he smiled

Melody grinned, in surprised gratitude before carefully and slowly releasing Donovan’s arm, she then raised both her hands in surrender and backed off. Donovan huffed and went stomping down the hallway back to her office.

Upon hearing raised voices from the corner just ahead Mycroft recognized the voice of his younger brother, and Mycroft assumed that he was prepared for what, or rather  _ who _ to expect on the other side.

He  _ thought  _ he did.

He rounded a corner at the end of the corridor and time seemed to slow as he came to a halt, but it was not Sherlock, or John Watson or o the female Sargent storming away from, what had obviously not been an amicable conversation, that caught the attention of the unflappably calm government worker, but rather the side view of the young woman standing with them, dusting her hands together as she turned to face John and Sherlock, putting her back to the figure she hadn’t seen approaching.

Melody looked between Sherlock, and John, who was staring, jaw slackened, in shock, but before she could do anything more than smile at her companions, a third males voice interrupted

“Causing trouble as always, brother mine?” the voice demanded lightly

Melody froze, her eyes moved but she stopped herself from turning, she knew that voice, even if it wasn't still ingrained on her mind, if a touch deeper than she recalled, the fact that he referred to Sherlock as ‘Brother’ was the give away.. 

Mycroft came to stand a few, respectful steps behind the young woman, not acknowledging the fact that she didn’t turn to face him or make the effort to introduce herself.

Sherlock smirked sarcastically at his sibling

“Mycroft, how is the British government or whichever one you’re propping up like a beer-mat under an off-kilter table leg?” Sherlock sneered at his brother who remained unfazed

Mycroft smirked condescendingly 

“I had business which needed to be dealt with in one of the interview rooms, however your petulant complaints could be heard on the other side of the building.”

Barely registering his brothers answer, Sherlock put his hands in his coat pocket

“Excuse us - John and I are off to the morgue - corpses are just  _ so _ much better company after all.” Sherlock emphasised, he then turned and shoved open a set of double doors that led to thef staircase which would eventually lead down to the entrance lobby, John flattered and followed quickly.

Melody snapped her head in a double take, blinking

“Hey!” 

Melody watched them leave

“What about me?” she called out, gesturing with her arms spread mid air.

Sherlock didn’t look back but waved nonetheless

“Thanks for the help!” Sherlock replied simply,

Melody rolled her eyes, let her arms fall to her sides heavily, still with her back to Mycroft who spoke as spoon as the two others were out of earshot

“Do forgive my little brother, his detective abilities may be slightly above average but his social skills are still practically non-existent.” He addressed the young woman.

Melody faced the elder Holmes with a dead-pan expression, but after a few second, as she met the elder Holmes’ cool grey eyes, she was forced to give up her act, Melody relaxed and allowed her stunning smile so shine through

“Hello Mycroft.” she greeted softly but clearly.

A rare smile tugged at the corners of Mycroft Holmes’ mouth but he raised his eyebrows but made no comment as he took in her appearance, like Sherlock, he too saw the hidden, haunted appearance beneath her beauty and shy smile. 

Sensing his intense gaze, Melody fixed the scarf around her neck, a nervous habit, Mycroft deduced, but was distracted when she spoke in that high clear voice of hers once more

“I used to wonder if we would meet again, but I never thought Scotland Yard would be the location.” 

Mycroft almost laughed - almost

“Indeed, Hardly conventional” Mycroft replied

Melody answered simply 

“Good; anything more conventional would have been boring..”

Mycroft showed no sign of acknowledging her statement, simply pressing the button to call for the lift.

While they waited Melody’s pale blue eyes scanned Mycrofts' profile quickly

“Congratulations. I knew you’d make it into Government one day.” Melody said, clasping her hands behind her back in a relaxed manner

Mycroft offered her an intrigued look

“How did you come to the conclusion that I work in Government?” he questioned

“The way you dress, general posture, And you’ve just confirmed it yourself.” she added with a confident toss of her hair

“I do still remember a few things you taught me, consciously or otherwise in our time together”

As the lift arrived Mycroft gestured for Melody to enter before him

“Then your memory is better than the usual memory span of a Goldfish, but then I cannot say I am surprised..” Mycroft retorted

Melody expressed confusion at this statement but Mycroft brushed it way

When they stopped at the ground floor the pair stepped out, oddly in-sync with each-other’s steps. An awkward silence had fallen and the two stopped at the top of the concrete steps outside Scotland Yard. 

“Mycroft…” 

“Melody-” 

The young woman glanced down, pursing her lips and ducking her head...nervous, no, Mycroft determined...submission, when they started to address the other at the same time she immediately stop but he gestured to her

“My apologies, go on” Mycroft coaxed

She smiled and relaxed once more, the odd air of submission and...anxiety that had clouded her for that brief moment was gone again, a trick of the light maybe, Mycroft decided, one too many late nights in his study.

Melody went on as he’d instructed

“Sorry, I was just wondering if you would join me for tea some time, obviously if you don’t want to or if you’re too busy I completely understand…” 

She lifted her gaze to meet his as he considered the offer

“While I am rather busy, the idea doesn’t sound entirely unpleasant” Mycroft replied with slight hesitation, but he didn’t miss the way Melody’s eye widened and brightened in delighted surprise. 

He found himself wondering if her eyes had always been such vivid green or if was just the separation of the years that made him believe otherwise.

Melody chuckled with an expectant expression

“High Praise indeed, pen?” 

He gave her the ink pen from his pocket and she scrawling a number on the back of an an old receipt she had dug out of her back pocket, she gave it to Mycroft and made her way down the steps and down the street to the right.

Mycroft looked down at the number she’d written, it was not for a mobile, not landline...a hotel maybe..? Did she think...Mycroft ignored the way the back of his neck flared with an unexpected, unwanted flush of heat.


	4. You Got The Blues Too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody explains her past with the Holmes brothers

**Two Days later**

Leaning back in his chair with closed eyes, he’d been working almost non-stop, which wasn’t unusual but he was feeling the after effects now. But as soon as his eyes closed the only thing that came to mind was a waterfall of straight copper colored hair framing an admittedly pretty, pale face and even paler green eyes. 

Part of him wished he had never seen Melody Onyx again; it brought back many feelings, memories and emotions he had long since locked away since their last meeting all those years ago.

His time with Melody had been greatly enjoyable. and he secretly held no regrets about their relationship…but it was years ago, that time in his life had passed; he wasn’t the same person as he had been back then. 

But even when they had been younger she held that uncanny ability to make him  _ want _ to be in her company whether she knew it or not, like some incandescent, inexplicable magnetic force as yet undiscovered by man or science. And living in a world of goldfish, this was something Mycroft rarely ever dealt with. 

Mycroft reached into his jacket pocket to find the creased, out of date receipt with one hand, and picked up his phone, it was then that the oddity of said number crept back into his mind, yet he ignored it. If she had mistaken his acceptance of her offer then he would simply have to set her straight and tell her. Simple as that.

Melody stepped outside after having lunch in a small restaurant just out of the way of the busy London traffic and noise, putting her phone in a small handbag she carried, looped around her wrist.

“Hello again” a voice called

Melody jumped slightly and turned but forced herself to relax quickly

“Hello Dr. Watson, I wasn’t expecting to see you” 

She greeted John kindly as he approached, wearing jeans, t-shirt and jacket

“Yeah, another case but Sherlock’s run off. He does that-” breathing heavily, John glanced up and down the road in hopes of catching a glimpse of his friend and flat-mate, to no avail

“But he’ll turn up, he usually does.” John shrugged, looking left and right without urgency, he was more than used to Sherlock’s habits by now

“Actually he’s probably not coming back for a while so I’m just heading home, why don’t you come to Baker Street, have some tea, unless you're busy?”.

Genuinely surprised by the offer, if a little apprehensive, Melody adjusted the scarf around her neck and nodded, John frowned, wondering why she looked so nervous but she spoke happily enough before he could address it

“Yes, alright. I’d like that.” She answered.

As John opened the door of 221B he allowed Melody inside before following, only to find Sherlock lying on the couch, sleeves rolled up and a nicotine patch stuck on either arm

“John. Melody” he greeted without looking up

Melody gestured to him

“Hello Sherlock, see I told you he’d find his way home on his own” she said to John, in amusement

Sherlock added

“You haven’t seen him again yet then.”, knowing exactly who he was referring to Melody shook her head

“No, but we’re having tea at the hotel.” 

Melody adjusted her scarf and toyed with her hair a little

“Hotel?” John asked

Melody hesitated, Sherlock opened one eye, observing this

Melody continued

“Yes, I’m...somewhat between accommodations at the moment so I’ve booked into a hotel for a while, till i can get somewhere suitable.” 

John nodded 

“So, how do you two know each other? I mean you must be pretty close since you almost broke Donovan’s arm sticking up for Sherlock, and he let you hug him and I can count on one hand how many people he’s done that to'' John joked, sitting in his armchair

“Tsk, Sherlock you haven’t told him?” Melody scolded lightly

“No need. It baffles and repulses me and has nothing whatsoever to do with me therefore I avoid speaking or even thinking of it.” Sherlock retorted

“Hm Same old Sherlock., well to answer your question John I used to date his brother.” Melody revealed, causing John to choke on his tea, coughing violently 

“Wait, you used to date…. _ date _ …Mycroft Holmes?” the poor doctor hacked, emphasising the word  _ date  _ deliberately

Melody snorted in amusement at the mans’ reaction

“Yes, while we were at College.” s

John’s eyebrows rose

“College? But then how old…er, I mean you don’t look that old… John stammered

“I was only in my first year and Mycroft was in his third. I’d been pushed forward for College at an early age but half way through the year my grades in Mathematics were slipping badly. I have Dyscalculia you see, I struggle with numeracy in general as well as direction and things like that, and I had been able to conceal it for most of my life, I was desperate to keep my grades up so I would spend a lot of my free time in the library trying to improve my maths.” Melody explained

“One day Mycroft wanted to borrow a book I had been using, he deduced that I had Dyscalculia and…well we ended up talking, sometimes we would meet up in the library and, in the end Mycroft ended up tutoring me when he noticed i wasn’t making any progress on my own and was under threat of failure” Melody added, biting her lip at the memory

“What, and he just decided to help you out?” John laughed doubtfully

Melody rolled her eyes 

“OH no, of course not, at first he failed to see what he would gain from the situation, but I did Mycroft a favor and after that he felt he owed me, so he agreed to tutor me until my results went up. We grew close and things just went from there I suppose, we dated right up until he graduated College” Melody said. 

John, who had been listening intently to the story, now looked confused

“So what happened, I mean, you broke up with him or…” Melody shook her head

“Not exactly, Mycroft was accepted into the university he wanted which, so long as he graduated with honors - which he fully intended to do, would end with an apprenticeship that would begin the career in politics he’d wanted, for as long as I’d known him.”

Melody paused as she recalled the events

“It meant he would be moving away and we both agreed that we needed to move on in life. In the end I moved to Japan with my parents, I worked as an English interpreter at a school over there for a year and a half. It was only a few months ago that I arrived back in England.” Melody finished.

John shook his head in disbelief

“Mycroft with a girlfriend I just can’t imagine it...” 

Sherlock pitched in

“At least you weren’t the one to walk in on them while they were  _ ‘experimenting’  _ with kissing in his bedroom over Christmas break.” Sherlock, who had remained silent until now, grimaced violently at the memory

While John sat still, eyes wide like might be trying to choose between to a fit of laughter or having an aneurysm at the thought, Melody glared at Sherlock

“The door was  _ shut _ , You should have knocked and you know it!” Melody argued to John’s amusement.

The afternoon passed pleasantly, while she refused to say much more on her relationship with the eldest Holmes brother, Melody was certainly intelligent in her own way with very interesting views as well a surprisingly quick wit and dark sense of humor. She was both delighted and intrigued as John recounted some of their cases, especially the more strange and gory ones.

Sherlock intervened every so often when John got facts wrong or failed to provide an acceptable answer to Melody’s questions, the detective was pleased to have someone new to show off to, he did like Melody, secretly always had.

Suddenly Melody’s phone began to ring, excusing herself she moved to the kitchen area to take the call, her bag, which had been resting on the floor at her feet was knocked over in the process, with John distracted as he reached for his cup of tea Sherlock, used his foot to stop it falling and pushing it upright again, he watched Melody from his chair, something was off, something he couldn’t pin-point, not with certainty; and Sherlock so detested being uncertain.


	5.  You're Selling A Song

Arriving on the fourth floor of the hotel where he had arranged to meet Melody. Mycroft quickly found the room and knocked

The soft, steady beat of a rock ballad emanated from the room. 

“It’s open” he heard Melody call clearly.

Mycroft stepped inside and was allowed a brief few seconds to take in Melody Onyxs' form and posture; she was sat reading and apparently not quite ready to put down her book because she offered him a brief smile and went back to reading with the CD player filling the silence that settled between them

_ So long, I've been looking too hard _

_ I've been waiting too long _

_ Sometimes I don't know what I will find _

_ I only know it's a matter of time _

_ When you love someone, When you love someone _

Closing the door, Mycroft quickly took in the layout of the room, a double bed was pushed against the far wall, a small sofa with a coffee table in front of it wa set up a few paces away from that, and a door led though to, what Mycroft assumed to be the bathroom.

There was a bookshelf which was bare aside from a few sparse possessions; books such as  _ Dracula, Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde, Flowers in the Attic  _ and _The_ _ Picture of Dorian Grey,  _ were propped up between the side of the unit and professionally Taxidermy cat skull, and a small set of 3 drawers, which contained her clothing, which Mycroft discerned from the sleeve of a top hanging from the lip of a closed drawer.

_ It feels so right, so warm and true I need to know if you feel it too _

_ Maybe I'm wrong, Won't you tell me if I'm coming on too strong? _

_ This heart of mine has been hurt before _

_ This time I want to be sure _

_ I've been waiting for a girl like you _

Melody was curled up on the double bed, reading… _ JAWS _ by  Peter Benchley , one leg was curled under er and her other was stretched down to rest her bare foot on the carpeted, and dressed in something that appeared to be a pull-over hoodie that reached her knees and fitted like a dress over quarter length maroon leggings. A thin black scarf wrapped around her neck despite the central heating being switched to a more than comfortable temperature.

She was startlingly similar to her younger, college aged self, but Mycroft could see the differences as clearly as he could see the varying shades of oranges and auburn strands in her shoulder length hair. What had it been, 18 - 19 years? 

Mycroft, in the span of the few seconds it took to absorb this information, was lurched back to their past, when he had, in an opportunistic, quid-pro-quo situation, first ended up entangled in some form of ‘relationship’ with Melody Oxys 

_ You're so good _

_ When we make love it's understood It's more than a touch or a word we say _

_ Only in dreams could it be this way When you love someone _

_ Yeah, really love someone _

_ Now, I know it's right From the moment I wake up 'til deep in the night _

_ There's nowhere on earth that I'd rather be Than holding you, tenderl _ y

Satisfied with the finished chapter, Melody closed her book and put it to one side, resting her hands in front of her on the bed with a unapologetic shrug as she gestured to the CD player

“Sorry, I’ll turn it down in…3, 2,...” 

Upon finishing her countdown, she waited a moment before untangling lean, toned legs to pad barefoot the CD player, turning it off, flashing a smile Mycrofts’ way

“Honeymoon; they’re both eager to please, but have no stamina. She’s just too embarrassed to talk about it” Melody stated, smiling when Mycrof raised his eyebrows but made no comment

Melody gestured to the sofa for Mycroft to sit before going to fill the kettle in the adjacent kitchenette.

Mycroft frowned slightly when he was given tea, but she opted for a glass of water run from the kitchen tap

Wistful expression- wanted tea but chose water, why?

No other mugs, lives alone, rarely if ever has guests…

Melody sat in the seat at the opposite end of the sofa, allowing an appropriate, comfortable amount of space to separate them, quickly engaging him in conversation, and it was strangely...easy, after a moment of initial awkwardness, as she remembered his dislike for idle chit chat, it was surprisingly easy for them to become focused, lost even, in their conversation, and Mycroft found himself blocking out, or simply taking no notice, of what he was being told with these subtle bullets of information which his brilliant mind was being bombarded with 

It felt so...easy, he hadn’t realized how much of her he actually remembered, or how much about him she remembered - she new exactly how to captivate his attention and glide from on topic to another in ways he rarely experienced with the ‘Goldfish’ he was forced to be surrounded with on a mundane, daily bases.

It was difficult not to take pleasure from Melody’s company; she was intelligent, though certainly not at the same level as Mycroft but intelligent enough to make conversation enjoyable, more than bearable, even.

She ended her answer to an inquiry of his and said “Tell me about what you do.” 

Mycroft’s glanced up from putting down his now empty cup

“Excuse me?”

“Your work, tell me what exactly you do.” She pressed, having finished her glass of water, she had lent her elbow on the top of the backrest of her seat with her cheek resting gently in her hand, mystery and intrigue in equal amounts rolled behind jade green eyes. The was something he could not place however, behind that, her eyes just seemed to lack something, but again he took no notice

“Minor role within the British Government; I keep things from going wrong and fix them if and when they do” he said simply

He expected her eyes to widen, her jaw to slacken in wonder, yet she simply quirked an eyebrow

“Wow; doesn’t sound so minor when you put it that way” she answered simply

“I supposed I don’t need to tell you anything about my life, you’ve already got it all worked out am i right?” she teased.

Mycroft hesitated but saw the glimmer of challenge in her eye, and found he couldn’t help himself

“You’ve been in Japan all this time, in education. Military Academy as your father wanted?”

Melody giggled: Mycroft certainly hadn’t changed, he was still able to see the most minuet facts from the most basic details,

“I was awarded a place shortly after we returned to Japan, I decided to stay on as an English interpreter” Melody

“And your parents?” he asked though there was no need;  _ dead _ . 

“My Father died a month after I Graduated from the Academy. Mother two years later, but I never had a chance to say goodbye or even provide a funeral for her...” Melody finished sadly 

“And why was that?” Mycroft asked, slightly confused by her statement

Melody shrugged, brushing off her moment of regretful reflection

“Doesn’t matter now, can’t change situations of the past. Speaking of which Mycroft, are we really  _ never  _ going to talk about what happened?” she urged

Mycroft exhaled deeply, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together, about to speak. 

But before he could answer, the door was suddenly flung open and Sherlock stalked inside

“Hey Bro, Mel.” He greeted, saluting the pair but sounding tense

Melody, startled, asked what Sherlock was doing there, he responded by holding up the small black clutch bag by the loop attached to the zipper

Melody got to her feet, her movements were relaxed, but quick and nervous

“Oh, yes I was going to collect it later, thank you-”

As she reached out to take it, only for Sherlock to grab her arm, making her expression fall

“Sherlock…” Melody half smiled, unsure whether Sherlock was simply joking around

Mycroft got to his feet

“Sherlock stop being childish!” he commanded

The detective lowered his arm but his expression told Melody he was deadly serious and she gasped as he gripped her arm painfully

“Sherlock!” Mycroft snapped impatiently.

Sherlock held up a small glass vial in his free hand and every trace of healthy pallor in Melodys’ face drained from her already pale skin

“You have some explaining to do.” Sherlock spat.

Mycroft moved across to his brother, who handed him the vial

“Arsenic mixed with sugar. She was going to poison you. Well, she would have if she hadn’t been stupid enough to leave it in her bag in my flat” Sherlock told his older brother.

Melody spun to face Mycroft, he seemed completely calm, but she could see the pinched expression, the anger rolling behind stormy grey eyes

Mycroft examined the vial, turning it in one hand 

“And you simply happened to find it in her bag which she happened to leave at your flat?” Mycroft asked smoothly

“I mean, we all know the lengths you’ll go to for an interesting case; anything to ensure you remain  _ clean _ . How can you possibly know it was meant for myself?” Mycroft added.

Sherlock snapped

“Oh come on, this isn’t a plant!” 

Feeling an argument was about to erupt Melody intervened, but not in the way anyone would have expected 

“It’s true.” 

As the brothers turned to her

“it’s true, Mycroft.” she repeated, bowing her head and clenching her fists

“I won’t waste time by saying it isn’t what it looks like. But I  _ can _ explain” Melody started fearfully. 

Sherlock remained stern 

“John, if you would” 

He released Melodys’ arm roughly and the ex-army medic stepped forward with a stern expression , mumbling an apology, he searched Melody for weapons’ or more poison

Mycroft rolled his eyes

"Sherlock for goodness sake, you're being..."

However, John turned to them

“Erm…”

He produced a pair of throwing stars with a flushed expression as they had been strapped to Melody’s thighs. The length of her dress/hoodie had concealed them enough for them to go unnoticed until now. 

Sherlock stalked forward, taking the vial of powder from Mycroft and tucking into his pocket, grabbing hold of Melodys’ arm, harder than before causing her to flinch and gasp in pain.

“Baker Street. Now” Sherlock ordered

Mycroft meanwhile, did nothing to stop his brother pulling Melody from the room, as Mycroft moved to follow Melody and turned to him, only to receive the coldest, most hateful glares she had ever received from him.


	6. Lying Low In The Weeds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody arched back in her seat and screamed.

Melody sat rigidly in the chair typically reserved for clients, Sherlock and John sat in their usual, respective arm chairs while Mycroft stood in front of the unlit fire-place, fist clenched to his mouth as he fought to control his anger. 

“I was ordered to do this. My owne…my boss” she corrected herself hastily

“He’s involved in a lot of criminal activities and one of his…favorites…” she spat the word with loathing

“Is interfering in Government’s, whichever ones he chooses whether they’re causing him problems or not.Has connections to a large company in Korea that participates in black market weapons trade, manufacturing, some find their way into auctions to sell them to the highest bidder, and recently the British Government to shut the entire operation down and recovered over 95% of the distributed weapons.”

Melody tugged at the collar, unconsciously seeking the material of her scarf to hide the chain from view as she went on

“He was furious and he knew Mycroft Holmes had been behind it. Some of his most trusted and capable people were killed on Mycroft’s orders. He said the only way to make you stop was to kill you.”

Melody turned a sorrowful gaze to Mycroft, his emotionless glare almost made her flinch

“When he found out I had once been… personally connected to Mycroft, he saw the perfect opportunity, used every manipulation tactic he could, toying with me, twisting my emotions until i broke, and I gave in to what he wanted me to do”

Melody paused to take a deep breath

“He knew things about me that no one else did, and he used that to his advantage but…not long ago I started having doubts…deep down I really didn’t want to kill you, I realized what my boss had been doing. But he said if I didn’t do that then he would kill me, and then kill you anyway.” she continued

John, clearly still trying to comprehend what they had just been told

“How did he find out you knew Mycroft?” 

“Torture” Sherlock answered

Melody looked down 

“In a...sense.” she admitted

Mycroft’s eyebrow twitched subtly, only Sherlock noticed

“What’s his name, your boss?” Sherlock asked with distaste

Melody’ haunted eyes filled with tears of fright

“James Moriarty, the most dangerous criminal mastermind in the world” she revealed, the three men looked at her in shock.

Sherlock was the first to recover

“Makes sense, he’s killed before so I’m confident he would have lived up to his threat to kill you too if you didn’t do as he said.” Sherlock said

John however, was not entirely convinced

“If you’re in with Moriarty how can we trust you, why should we trust you?” John said suspiciously

Sherlock, surprisingly, argued on her behalf

“If you were really intending to use that vial on Moriarty’s behalf, willingly, you wouldn’t have forgotten the poison was in your bag and then leave it here. Sherlock met his brother cool gaze

“Even  _ you  _ must see that brother, she clearly had no intention of actually using it.” Sherlock replied

“Besides, the signs are all there.” Sherlock concluded

Melody gifted her head

“Sherlock-” she tried to interrupt

John frowned

“Signs?”

Melody gave Sherlock a pleading look

”Sherlock, please don’t…” 

She was silently hoping, against all past experience and evidence, that Sherlock wouldn’t…

“Brother?” the consulting detective looked to Mycroft

Melody looked between them, panicked 

“Not like this…”

She tried again, gasping in shock as Sherlock tugged up her long sleeve, revealing fading bruises, scars old and new, burns and scratches, no doubt the rest of her body was in similar condition, John looked at the marks unhappily while Mycroft had to shut his eyes for a brief moment to compose himself

“Abuse, spanning around ten to twelve years at  _ least _ ; Moriarty is deranged, her version of things certainly makes sense, whether that is in fact the entirety of it remains to be seen.” Mycroft answered, regarding Melody without emotion.

Melody forced herself to meet Sherlock’s eye and gently pull her arm free

John was the next to speak

“What can we actually be able to do for her though, with Moriarty in Korea or wherever he is now you can’t arrest him or anything.” 

Sherlock began pacing the room

“Oh he’s so arrogant. So eager to show off…” 

Melody meanwhile was clearly terrified

“He’s here in England, in London” she informed

Sherlock watched Melody for a long moment before falling back into his armchair where he settled in his thinking position. 

John, even though she was about to commit a half-heart attempt on my brothers life, she’s not an old acquaintance anymore, she’s a client” 

John nodded but Mycroft rolled his eyes, about to speak when Melody’s phone beeped with a text. There was only one number saved in it. 

Frightened jade eyes darted rapidly and Melody shuddered deeply,, feeling her throat constrict to an near strangling degree

“Melody?”

It was Mycroft who had spoken this time, seeing the colour drain from her face, she responded by offering the phone to Sherlock who was closest

‘ _ you should have killed him Mels. Pets who don’t do as they’re told get punished.”  _

Sherlock took the phone from his brother and began to scan through messages and contacts while Melody looked up at Mycroft, filled with guilt, fear, and shame

“Mycroft…I’m sorry, I’m so sor-….ugh, aghh!” 

Melody arched back in her seat and _screamed_.


	7. All That Night and All the Next

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moriartys' tormenting of Melody Onyx continues

**Next Morning**

Mycroft sat in the back of the large black Jaguar heading for 221, deliberating whether or not to simply go home or to work rather than go to Baker Street, there was nothing that could be done until Moriarty made his next move, and if he avoided being in proximity to Melody, Mycroft felt it would be easier to push away the memories and the feelings that still existed under the layer of ice covering his heart, they all came bubbling to the surface when he was with her. 

His life, until now, had been kept reasonably well ordered considering his work and his brothers usual mishaps; those could be dealt with easily enough, but Melody Onyx was someone else entirely, and for the first time in…he couldn’t remember how long, his thoughts had been focused on something other than work, and concern for someone other than Sherlock. 

Yes they had dated back when they had been young, young and in-experienced; Mycroft couldn’t help but smirk at the thought. But that had been years ago. They had been living completely. separate lives’ in more ways than most people considering what he had deduced about Melody’s horrific experiences. And she had admitted to trying to kill him.

Whatever else he felt about his erratic younger brother, Melody would be safe with him. Then he remembered the chain around her neck, the way she had fallen, writhing and crying out as Moriarty, though possibly in another country entirely, sent high voltage shocks through her neck. 

This alone was enough for Mycroft to refrain from having the car turned around 

As he entered 221 Baker Street Mycroft could hear the sound of Sherlock playing his violin, soft and steady, and quieter than he usually played. Mycroft entered his brothers’ flat to find his brother pacing soundlessly, violin nestled in the crook of his neck, Melody was curled under a sheet leaning against the back-rest, she clearly hadn’t slept much during the night but she’d bathed and washed her hair since yesterday.

“Two hours at the most” Sherlock commented, knowing what Mycroft was thinking

“Clearly, how often?” Mycroft responded

“It’s different each time; the last one was over an hour ago, ten minutes between that and the one before it.” Melody answered without opening her eyes.

“No pattern, entirely random but obviously meant to keep her awake.” Sherlock explained

“Did you come to that conclusion yourself or did you google it?” Mycroft provoked with a smirk, receiving a small chuckle from Melody.

However, she gasped suddenly, knowing what was coming, the brothers tensed, sure enough a series of high voltage shocks had Melody leaning further against the back of the sofa, arching and releasing short shrieks of pain. 

Without thinking, Mycroft had gone to her side

“Agh,  _ hurts”  _ Melody wept

“We’re aware, you don’t have to state the obvious” Sherlock quipped, leaping into his chair soundlessly

“Sherlock” Mycroft snapped in response.

Somehow Melody’s hand had found his and crushed it in a surprisingly strong grip. It was cruel to watch; that Moriarty could still cause his victim this amount of agony without being in the same country. Mycroft found himself squeezing her hand in return, trying to bring some relief, some comfort or distraction. 

The gesture was not unseen by the ever observant Sherlock who was plucking his violin distractedly as he too watched the mindless torture playing out. It was a full minute before the shocks finally ended. 

Melody finally fell limp, her grip on Mycroft’s hand slackened but her jagged, half bitten fingernails had left small half-moon indents in the back of his hand

“Sorry.” 

She gulped as she tried to catch her breath, rubbing her thumb over the marks she’d accidentally made

“Don’t worry. Is there no way of removing it?” Mycroft questioned

“Only he has the key, he keeps it with him at all times; he knows I don’t have the courage to try to take it. It’s not just a torture device… it reminds me and anyone else that sees it that as long as this is around my neck he controls me, he  _ owns  _ me.” 

She avoided his gaze for few a seconds, clawing at her throat, at the chain around her neck, now losing her fight to keep from crying, seeing the droplets of blood starting to appear at her neck Mycroft grasped her hand, pulling it down to her lap away from her throat, scrutinizing the chain carefully but with distain, searching for any literal ‘weak link’ that could be used to strip Melody of the torture device.

“Strange.” Sherlock suddenly stated

“What is?” Melody asked the obvious follow up question

“Moriarty lets you wander around London alone?” Sherlock elaborated

“Because he knows I’ll have nothing if I try to run away, I have no passport, no money to leave the country. and no way of supporting myself. Even if I did leave he would simply find me and take me back. Letting me go out and appear to be like anyone else…it’s just another way of controlling me, of hurting me.” She explained

“If I do or say anything he doesn't like or thinks will draw attention to him, he gives me a low level shock, not enough to make me react as strongly as before, but enough to remind me that he was still there, i was still his, dangling the idea of normality in front of me while knowing I will never have it.” Melody sighed. 

Mycroft took his phone from his pocket

“I found out from a reliable source that James Moriarty is definitely in London. It won’t be safe for her to leave the flat alone”

Sherlock stated that there were enough of them to stay with Melody and work on the case at the same time

Melody, genuinely confused, asked out loud

“Wait, are you serious? Why , after what I was going to do...why would you not just leave me to Moriarty? Feed me to the lions if you like?” she asked

Sherlock looked at her, as did John and Mycroft 

“I already stated that we know that you never intended to do it. And you’re a client in need of help” Sherlock said simply

Melody felt tears sting the corners of her eyes, but Sherlock went to sit in his armchair

“And if Moriarty is involved, this is sure to be an interesting one!” 

“Sherlock!” 

The detective jumped as the three other occupants snapped his name in unison, he shrugged

“What?”


	8. Bet Your Gonna Ambush Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mycrofts' car pulled up outside 221B, Mycroft slid out of the back seat only to notice Melody, soaked from the pouring rain, sitting in a window seat of Speedys’ Cafe, slumped down with her hand resting in her palm, looking miserable, and exhausted.

In the weeks that followed, under several guises of trying to temp Sherlock with parliamentary case files he himself didn't want the hassle of dealing with, Mycroft would occasionally stop by 221B, staying longer than necessary as he conversed with Melody,  much to Sherlock’s annoyance, when he was there.

For reasons Mycroft couldn’t pin-point, she enjoyed his company and inexplicably, he enjoyed her company; his conclusions had been similar to what they had been in the beginning, b ack when he had first noticed her struggling over a mathematics textbook in College.

She was enthusiastic about the things she loved.  She was Isolated like him, sometimes had trouble identifying with other people her age (these traits had been exacerbated due to the abuse she had suffered under Moriarty) She accepted the help and friendship offered to her from Sherlock, John and himself, but never expected or asked for it. 

Moriarty would still activate the electrified chain around her neck at random intervals, mainly at night which meant she was barely getting enough sleep to continue teaching her classes, she had tried sleeping during the day but as if Moriarty could always see what she was doing.  As soon as she lay down to sleep, the electric shocks would start and it terrified Melody to the point where she was becoming more introverted and secluded, keeping the chain hidden from sight in public was easily done by wrapping her scarf around her neck, but keeping herself from reacting to the painful shocks once they started was extremely difficult

Mycrofts' car pulled up outside 221B, Mycroft slid out of the back seat only to notice Melody, soaked from the pouring rain, sitting in a window seat of Speedys’ Cafe, slumped down with her hand resting in her palm, looking miserable, and exhausted.

After hesitating for a moment Mycroft too entered the café. 

When a plate of chocolate cake was placed in front of her Melody jumped, having not heard the person approach

“I’ve always found food a comfort in times of stress, as you know... _ Unfortunately _ ” He muttered the last word under his breath.

Melody forced a smile

“I must admit I did notice the difference, there was just never an appropriate time to mention it.” she said, no longer pretending she hadn’t noticed the change in physical appearance in Mycrofts’ far leaner form.

“But then, I thought you were fine just the way you were” she added quietly

Mycroft raised his brow

“Indeed?” 

Melody crossed her arms on the table surface

“What do you think? I told you enough times, remember?” she said

Realizing what she had just called reference to, she flushed, which did not go unnoticed by Mycroft, but, also slightly flustered by the comment, decided to change the subject and pushed the plate towards her

“Just eat something, you look like you haven’t eaten in two days” Mycroft insisted

“Three. You’re slipping” Melody teased.

She ran her hands over her pale, drawn face

“Ugh, I should be used to it by now. It’s one of Jims’ favorite ways of punishing me” she stated miserably, sounding just as exhausted as she looked.

Taking the fork and taking a mouthful of thick chocolate cake. 

Mycroft could see the signs of severe sleep deprivation, current and past, in her features, in her voice, and general posture. A common torture tactic that proved more effective than many people assumed. But Mycroft could also see that this was not something new to her, years worth of exhaustion and torture was reflected in her eyes.

Looking marginally more refreshed after devouring her slice of cake, Melody pushed away her empty plate, thanking him again. 

The pair got to their feet

“Are you very busy or would you like to come up and annoy Sherlock with me?” Melody offered slyly.

With a similar expression, Mycroft answered

“As tempting as that is, I do have to get back to the office, I simply came to hand some files over to Sherlock” he lied.

Melody saw no signs of said files, but assumed they were in the car? But as they stopped in the shelter over the cafe door, Melody’s eyes widened as a small red dot appeared against the chest of Mycrofts' dark suit. 

“Move!” 

Melody shoved Mycroft out of the way, producing a silver and black throwing star from the pocket of her jean’s, eyes locked on the sniper as it reloaded at the unexpected miss, another shot was fired but Melody threw weapon with practiced ease, unfortunately, having his jugular sliced open made the assassin an more clumsy shot, and the gun fired several more rounds all around the shop entrance as the gun owner slumped over the rooftop, landing in a pool of blood in the street below.

Among the heavy rain of bullets accidentally fired, Melody grabbed Mycrofts’ arm and pulled him to the floor, just as a series of shots were fired through the window, Melody, who had landed on planked arm with her body covering Mycrofts, suddenly cried out as a random shot hit the side of her arm, which promptly collapsed under her weight.

With her arms tucked between them, Mycroft rolled them both under the table for cover, repositioning them so that his body was covering hers, customers and staff took cover under tables and behind the counter frantically. Then, just as soon as it had started the gunshots stopped. 

Broken glass from the window was scattered across the floor and people were crying out and screaming in shock and terror. 

Both breathing heavily from shock, Mycroft straightened slightly, placed a hand against the sides of Melody’s face, making her look at him

“Are you alright?” he demanded firmly, brushing her hair away from her face with a gloved hand

Melody nodded weakly and Mycroft helped her out from under the table, sirens could already be heard as they approached from down the street

“We’re not waiting for an Ambulance; Dr Watson is next door in the flat, yes?” Mycroft asked, holding his kerchief against the bleeding wound on her arm

Melody nodded weakly, watching him remove his tie to use as a tourniquet,


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock eyed her actions - how careful and practiced they were, perfected by someone who had been punished for far less than folding a blanket incorrectly.

Upstairs in 221B Melody sat in John’s armchair as the army doctor stopped the bleeding and disinfected her wound

“Ok, it’s just a graze, it’s not deep so you shouldn't need a hospital trip. But this is going to hurt a bit” John warned as he prepared to start stitching up the wound. 

“Just do it” Melody encouraged through gritted teeth. 

Mycroft stood before the fireplace, torn between the need to return straight to the office and have every available resource look into the situation and his desire to make sure she was going to be alright.

With John concentrating on stitching up her wound, Mycroft allowed her to grip his hand, every so often her hand would tighten, and she would gasp or wince in pain.

Mycroft decided to attempt to distract her

Raised an eyebrow at the woman

“A shuriken?” 

Melody shrugged sheepishly, only to wince as pain shot through her arm

“Japan. A friend taught me how to use them, and I always carried one or two for protection ever since.” She explained

They both ignored the obvious subject of had her having smuggling the weapon into England from Japan

“Well brother she saved your life it seems.” Sherlock smirked across to his brother

“So it would seem; I’m grateful Melody however I’m needed at the office in an hour, if you’ll excuse me” Mycroft got to his feet, dropping Melody’s hand without warning and left. 

“Definitely Moriarty” Sherlock suddenly stormed into the flat

“Not a serious attempt on your life, if he’d actually wanted to kill either of you he would have” he added

Melody pouted 

“Thanks” she quipped sarcastically, only to be ignored

“He just wants you to know he’s close. Close enough anyway” Sherlock finished.

Melody lowered her eyes - as though she didn’t already know that, the chain around her throat was reminder enough.

Mycroft, disgusted, slammed a desk drawer in frustration, deciding that his work place was becoming more and suffocating with the amount of excuses and explanations on what his subordinate could not do regarding Moriarty.

He arrived at the Diogenes Club not half an hour later; the rule of absolute silence was certainly a welcome one on this day alone. An idea crept through the lingering fog of anger clouding his mind, like the pale light of a torch in a darkened tunnel. 

The next day Melody woke from her makeshift bed on the sofa; a rare night that was free from electric currents running through her neck, and the pain-killers she had been prescribed took the edge off the injury on her right arm had made her drowsy, making sleep easier. 

Returning from the kitchen with a cup of tea, she found she had received a text message from Mycroft

_ Would you be willing to join me for dinner tomorrow night, some time out of the flat might calm your nerves a bit - MH _

Surprised but unable to turn down the offer, Melody replied

_ “Well, I’m certain I shall be safe in the hands of the most powerful Government Official in England, so why not? 30 minute in the cafe’ was hardly enough time to catch up properly - M.O _

_ ’ _ In many ways, it was liked they’d never been away from each other, that was how easy it was to fall into the old habit of throwing out some flirtatious banter into their conversations - and Mycroft had yet to react negatively, so she took this as a sign that he was neither flustered nor put off by her attitude.

A thought occurred to her and she quickly sent another text before he cou;d reply

‘ _ I’ll have to go shopping for something suitable to wear... M.O _

Not five seconds later a reply was sent through

_ “No need, I’ll deal with it - MH” _

Although confused, Melody smirked fondly

‘Same old Mycroft’ she thought, but she trusted him and didn’t argue instead typing out an answer

_ “7.00pm? _ ” she suggested

_ “I’ll make the arrangements - MH _ .

The promise of an evening out certainly lifted Melody’s spirits, and she imagined Mycrofts’ neck flashing red at her playful comment.

The boys returned home a short while later

“You’re cheerful” John commented as she handed him and Sherlock a mug of tea each, setting SHerlocks down on the table in front of his chair when he failed to notice her offering it to him

“Date, with my brother” Sherlock deducted

Johns’ eyes went wide as car tires in surprise, while Melody rolled her own jade green ones, trying not to shift in discomfort “Not that it’s any of your business but yes” she said,

“And it isn’t a date it’s just having dinner” she corrected

Sherlock didn’t look up 

“Nope” 

Melody rolled her eyes

“Whatever. Is it alright if I take a bath?” she asked

There was an awkward pause as both men looked up at her, she felt the heat rise in the back of her neck

John smiled kindly

“It’s fine; you don’t need to ask, remember?” he reminded her with a gentle pat on the shoulder

Melody ducked her head

“right. Sorry” 

The habit of asking permission to do anything, especially in a flat that was not her own was still deeply ingrained in her mind.

Still embarrassed by her slip up, Melody picked up the dressing gown Mrs Hudson had loaned to her.

John cleared his throat awkwardly 

“Right, I’m off again, we need milk.” John said standing and collecting his wallet before he left. 

20 minutes later, exiting the bathroom with her freshly washed hair wrapped in a towel and her body covered with the soft grey material her dressing gown 

Scanning the screen of his laptop Sherlock inquired

“So how do you bathe with that around your neck?” 

More than used to Sherlocks' prying, Melody sighed

“I’ve lived with it long enough to learn how to be careful enough not to get it wet” she answered, as she started folding and tidying the bedding on the sofa. 

Sherlock eyed her actions - how careful and practiced they were, perfected by someone who had been punished for far less than folding a blanket incorrectly.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody and Mycroft go to dinner

At 6:15pm Melody was beginning to worry, she still had nothing to wear for the evening, but just as she started trying to think of a solution there was a knock at the door

Moments later Mrs. Hudson appeared, a large cardboard box

“Sherlock, your brother’s assistant dropped these off for Melody” Mrs. Hudson announced, along with the box in her arms there was a plastic bag in the landladys’ left hand, and Melody, who had been in the kitchen, approached and took the items from the elderly lady

“F-for me? Thank you Mrs. Hudson.” She said gratefully, setting the box on the coffee table and opening it.

Mrs Hudson crossed her arms with a stern expression

“Not like Mycroft Holmes is it, to do all this? Though he should show a little bit of gratitude since you put yourself in danger to help him during that awful business in the café” Mrs. Hudson fussed

Sherlock spoke up

“He’s taking her out on a date, 30 minutes in the cafe just wasn’t enough apparently”

Melody glanced up 

“I’ve told you not to look through my messages” 

Sherlock only grinned in triumph; he couldn’t deny that he was fond of this woman – not in the way his brother wasobviously, but she wasn’t so tedious as other people, even if she was just as stupid or almost as stupid- as other people.

Meanwhile Melody had gasped happily as she looked inside the box - her possessions from the hotel.

John and Mrs Hudson watched as Melody, with a look of delight they had yet to see on the troubled young womans’ features, found everything she owned had been packed and brought over from the hotel; Her cat skull, which earned her a disturbed glance from John and Mrs Hudson that went ignored, and continued to unpack her small collection of books, her CD’s and player, her dartboard and clothes before turning her attention to the plastic bag, unbranded and containing what looked like, clothes and a pair of shoes and a small black cosmetics bag

Melody carefully lifted out the clothing, clearly brand new, and revealed to be a dress, to look at it properly

Mrs. Hudson watched happily

“Ooh that’s lovely dear, why don’t you come down to my flat and get ready? He’ll only try to distract you” Mrs. Hudson chuckled as she nodded in Sherlock’s direction.

At 6:56 Melody smoothed down the blue material of the dress.

Inside the black cosmetics case she found black mascara, eyeliner and a light layer of concealer had helped cover the dark circles under her eyes.

Moriarty was still keeping her awake, activating the chain around her neck at various times in the night, and during the day as well, she often had to leave a room or attempt to hide it. A little bit of contouring powder helped to bring out her cheekbones which had started to fill out attractively given her healthier living situation, and clear lip-gloss gave her lips a fuller look and smoother texture.

Melody wore her black leather jacket to keep away the chilly London air, her small black handbag was looped around her left wrist, and a black scarf, borrowed from Mts Hudson, concealed the electrified chain she wore from prying eyes.

Mycroft saw Melody exit 221 Baker Street barely a minute after the car had pulled up outside, she approached quickly with a shy smile.

Mycroft felt his breath hitched as his brilliant mind momentarily forgot how  _ breathing  _ worked but still managed to keep his outward reaction to her appearance minimal. But If the way Melody’s outward reaction was anything to go by his choice one of attire was appreciated as well. Breathing faltered with the near sheepish smile,, pupils dilate just slightly.

As the car moved the through mild, early evening traffic Melody turned to Mycroft

“There’s no need to look so nervous.” She joked lightly

Mycroft glanced at her, as though jolted out of deep thought

“I should say the same to you; do the words pot, kettle, black, ring familiar?” 

Melody laughed, something she felt she hadn’t done in a long while.

“What makes you think  _ I’m _ nervous?” she countered.

There it was again, that challenging look she always gave him when inviting him to make his observations. Melody however, became surprised when she felt Mycroft’s hand find her own so that the back of her hand rested in his palm, the small trembling in her fingers was all the indication needed.

He pressed the pad of his thumb to the pulse point of her inner wrist, the veins still too visible, bone still jutting out more than was natural but he didn’t comment on these

“Definitely nervous” Mycroft declared softly, his thumb brushing over the soft sensitive skin of her palm. 

Melody swallowed

“Point made”

Mycrofts’ eyes met hers and without realizing, entwined his fingers with hers

“And you still bite your nails” he added

“Anxious habit, remember? Did you really think I’d ever stop?” she smiled, returning the gesture by curling her fingers around his gently. Mycrofts’ mouth twitch into an uncharacteristically soft smile

Over dinner they talked of everything and nothing. Mycroft couldn’t think when he had enjoyed someone else’s company this much

“I’m glad you were well enough to join me tonight” Mycroft started, taking a sip of his glass of wine, he had made sure not to order a bottle since Melody wouldn’t be drinking due to being on painkillers for her injury

“How is your arm?” he asked, 

Melody glanced at the bandage, relieved that no one around them had seemed to notice or care before looking back at Mycroft

“It’s alright. The painkillers help and John said the bandages can probably come off at the end of the week.” Melody told him

A moment of silence passed between them. 

“I feel I should apologise, again. This wouldn’t have happened because of me…” she started

“I almost killed you, because of the lies of a criminal mastermind, because I was stupid enough to let him manipulate me it almost made me  _ kill _ you! But you must understand, the way he works…the things he said and did to me…but I never wanted or intended to do it, that isn’t me, I swear!” Melody struggled

“No, it isn’t” Mycroft remarked, she looked at him questioningly

“Melody you may not be exactly the same girl I tutored all those years ago, but you are still the same sensitive, intelligent, extremely…beautiful, young woman I let into my heart. As you know I seldom do so with anyone….” He added reluctantly, but when she turned to him, watery eyed and fearful, she did smile shyly at his words.

Mycroft decided that he liked that smile, and even more surprisingly, he was ok with that.

But he smile became saddened in the span of the same second

“I don't forgive myself that easily, you know that" she added bleakly

Mycrfot sighed quietly “Melody it’s over and done with, it’s alright” he answered

When her eyes held his gaze for longer than he would usually permit he tensed when he felt her hand seeking his own, He felt her brush of her fingertips across the back of his hand. Mycroft felt the oddest sensation as his body involuntarily relaxed at her touch, his eyes flickered to their hands and then back to meet her eyes. The subject was promptly changed and more wine was poured.

They were half way through their meal when it started.

Melody put down her fork, and adjusted her scarf - which she insisted on keeping on to cover her chain, and her hand went to the soft fabric, fidgeting with it subtly, but not so subtle that Mycroft didn’t notice

Mycroft watched her carefully

“Will you be alright?” he asked

Melody forced a smile

“Yes, it’s not too bad at the moment.” she regretted saying the final part of that sentence.

Over the next fifteen minutes the burning, electrocutions shooting through her neck steadily increased until she was forced to politely excuse herself, quickly heading in the direction of the restaurants’ public toilets.

Mycroft stopped a passing server with a polite word.

Ten minutes later Melody reappeared, sitting down as she cleared her throat, her eyes were red and she was obviously still in some discomfort

“Is it getting worse?” Mycroft asked, eyeing the glimmer of silver that gave away the chain around Melodys' neck - the cause of her pain. 

As she took a sip of her wine Melody knew there was no way of getting around it

“Yes” she nodded discreetly.

Mycroft sat back in his seat

“You wish to leave?” he inquired gently

Melody nodded, clenching her fist against her out thigh, pained, and embarrassed.

Mycroft got to his feet, with Melody quickly doing the same, he then handed her the valet ticket

“I’ve already paid, go and wait in the car, I’ll collect our coats” he instructed.

With a thankful expression, Melody did so.


	11. Kisses For Everyone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite the interuption, Melody and Mycrofts' evening doesn't end on such a terrible note

Getting into the polished, black Jaguar, Melody instructed Mycrofts’ driver to wait, before practically ripping off the scarf and slumping back in her seat, trying to breathe silently through the fresh wave of shocks Moriarty was sending through the simple but cleverly made device. It was agony.

Not even a minute later than her, Mycroft got into the car with their coats, putting them on the seat between them, Melody winced as the varying levels of electric shocks to ehr neck continued, her hand found the pile of coats beside her and she gripped a fistful of material, not thinking in that moment that it was expensive fabric instead of black leather that she had grabbed.

Silently, Mycroft touched her whitened knuckles and wordlessly encouraged her to take his hand, which she did, forcing a look of gratitude to pass her features, Melody gasped and arched against her seat in pain. Mycrofts’ thumb stroked over the back over hand, not letting go.

Getting out of the car, Mycroft offered her a hand

“I haven’t properly thanked you. For what you were prepared to…what you did in the café” Mycroft stated

She had pulled him out of the way and willingly shielded his body with her own when the gunshots started, placing herself in harms’ way to keep him from being injured. 

Melody took his proffered hand

“For someone who claims not to care for anyone you’ve shown me a great deal of kindness, Mycroft, even after all these years. I don’t deserve it. Given my life as of late, it’s all that i could dare ask for” Melody declared

“ Would you like to come up to the flat for some tea? Sherlock and John are out on a case” she offered

“Very well” Mycroft conceded

His pale blue eyes met his with barely concealed hope, sometimes being as observant as he was a curse…but as Melody led him inside the door he considered that perhaps this  _ wasn’t _ one of those times.

While Melody was making tea he studied the small wooden shelving unit standing in the corner of the room at the end of the sofa facing door to the flat; book titles such as  _ Lolita, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dracula, Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde  _ and _ Flowers in the Attic,  _ stood out among others, propped up by a cat skull.

But as he turned something caught Mycroft’s attention; the dart board was hanging on the back of the door with six, five pointed silver and black throwing stars embedded into the board. 

As Melody re-appeared with two mugs of tea Mycroft used the tip of his umbrella to point to the various indents in the board, most of them in or around the dead center of the board

“You must be a very good aim” he observed

Melody gave an embarrassed laugh

“Oh, the dart board. Well, step out of the way and I’ll show you.” she offered, 

Collecting the Throwing stars before standing back as far as the small flat would allow, the skirt of her blue evening dress brushing her ankles as she toed off her shoes

“Point to anywhere on the board.” she instructed.

As he did so Melody took a breath before throwing the weapon, it hit the exact spot Mycroft had pointed to with the tip of his umbrella. 

Melody beamed proudly 

“Again!” 

After three more perfect shots Melody had to stop, as enjoyable as she found it the pain in her shoulder was growing worse. 

The pair sat at either end of the sofa with a cup and saucer, mentally preparing for the question Mycroft had requested permission to ask

"Tell me," Mycroft said carefully

"What do you want?”

Her eyes widened briefly; both of them knew she would speak the unconditional truth and Mycroft thought that watching Melody decide to drop her guard entirely was mesmeric. He could practically feel the weight of decision as she lifted her eyes back to his

"I want many things," she said, matter-of-factly. "I want comfort…security, but more than anything I want to learn to provide those things for myself." she said.

"But I also want …" she paused for a moment

"To find someone who will give or at least show or teach me what I don’t know how to find or learn on my own." she finished. 

Mycroft frowned slightly

“Such as?”

Leaning back in the crook of the arm and the back-rest of the sofa Melody shrugged, her hand came to play with a long strand of orange hair, as she became lost in thought for a moment

“Affection,genuine kindness. And Freedom; above all else, my wish would be freedom.” She added, intense and earnest

Fingertips touching the heavy grey chain that denied Melody that very thing

"You don't mention love" 

Melody's smile changed a little and she shrugged

"I don’t know how love is meant to feel…and I don’t know how being loved in that  _ way  _ is meant to feel.” she admitted.

“Mycroft…when all of this is over,  _ if _ it is ever over, I  _ can _ leave, things can go back to how they were, I won’t intrude on your life again; the life you have… _ had _ before I came back, clearly means a lot to you. Sherlock and John have told me a little about the ‘Iceman’ you’ve apparently become, and how dedicated you are to your work and I don’t want to cause you any unhappiness.” She stated.

“Not again.” She swallowed thickly

A moment of silence fell before Mycroft forced himself to ask

“How did it happen?” Was all he said, pursing her lips, of course he had already guessed the obvious and for a second Melody thought back

“I was three months along, a few weeks after I had told you, and…I woke up one morning and there was blood, such a lot of it.” she shuddered at the memory, her eyes pricked with tears

“There was nothing... it was too late. That was it. Gone, just like that.” she sighed sadly

“I’m glad you weren’t around for that part…but I was sorry that I couldn’t tell you. I had no address for you and I was certain you didn’t want to hear from me, let alone be updated on a pregnancy you wanted no part in.” Melody added

Mycroft wasn’t surprised...the subject had to come up sooner or later

“Melody…I reacted badly when you told me the news all those years ago. I know that.” he admitted

But Melody stopped him

“Don’t. I understand why you had to leave. And…in a way I’m glad. Glad that you didn’t have to be around when it happened. When I lost it.” she replied honestly. 

“Melody, you’ve no doubt mourned, but for me…well I cannot mourn what I never had” Mycroft told her

She nodded

“I understand.” 

She knew the sort of person Mycroft was, and she knew it wasn’t that Mycroft felt nothing for the child that she’d lost but in his mind, as he hadn’t been there when it happened, had barely acknowledged the fact that she was pregnant at the time. So the loss of it, that possibility which that positive pregnancy test offered...it just didn’t impact him as it had her.  _ Melody  _ had lost the child, the one she was willing to keep even despite Mycroft leaving her right after finding out. It was Melody who had gone through the physical and emotional process of a miscarriage and its’ immedeat after effects, therefore she had far more right to mourn for a life that could have been than he did.

Melody spoke up once more 

“It’s the past. It just wasn’t meant to happen. And, with my current state, I’m actually glad, I couldn’t imagine having a child to care for the way things are at the moment. As I said, when it,... _ if _ it is ever over, I can leave; I can go and never come back if that’s what you want.” Melody repeated.

Mycroft swallowed thickly, was that really what he wanted?

For the first person he had ever cared about outside his immediate family,, to leave his life for so long only to reappear years later needing his help to break free from the criminal mastermind Moriarty who had been torturing her, for years on end, only to be gone again in a moment?

There was no telling how long they would have to wait before Moriarty made his next move, and when he did what then? At the moment there was no chance of concocting a solid plan to free Melody from Moriarty’s hold.

“I don’t know, I don’t know what I want yet.” Mycroft eventually admitted

“We were young back then Melody; perhaps older than other people in many ways but still young. I’m not the same as I was back then.” He insisted

She gave him a long look

“Hm, and neither am  _ I _ . Life changes us Mycroft, certainly, we parted knowing there wasn’t much, if any, chance of ever meeting again, but we have and neither of us believe in coincidence do we, remember what you used to say?”

They both spoke at the same time

“The universe is never so lazy.” 

Melody chuckled

“If you ask me to go I will; no hard feelings, no fuss. But if I go...I won’t be coming back. I couldn’t” She vowed gravely. 

Mycroft ignored the unease he felt as he understood what she was asking of him, he still had no idea how he felt for this woman, though to everyone else outside the two of them it was obvious but it was too far buried beneath fear and denial for Mycroft to realize 

“ I’m afraid I cannot give you an answer now.” he claimed

Understanding crossed Melodys’ features

“I’ll respect whatever you decide but I won’t ever forget you, or the memories I have of our time together, from both then and now.” 

She paused, and Mycroft found himself unable to look away, the hypnotising glint in her green eyes making it impossible for him to break eye contact

Melody smiled sadly

“I’m glad we finally talked, that I was finally able to tell you everything properly. It’s given me a sense of…closure, thank you.” Melody added

She turned her hand over and offered it to him across her lap 

After a few seconds of hesitation Mycroft took it

“I never thought I would say it but I do as well.”

It was Mycroft who broke the moment of contented silence by clearing his throat and slowly getting to his feet

“ Forgive me; I have an early meeting tomorrow morning” Mycroft said

Concealing her disappointment, Melody followed him 

“Yes of course. I’ll walk you out” 

Mycroft’s car was still parked outside waiting for him and Melody, still barefoot, followed him out and down the steps leading to the doorstep of 221 Baker Street

“I can’t thank you enough for tonight; I can’t remember when I enjoyed myself this much” Melody confessed

Mycroft replied simply 

“I would have to agree with my dear, I rarely enjoy the company of other people.” 

Melody chuckled without offense.

Mycroft glanced down, seeing her bare toes appear under the hem of the dress as the skirt was caressed by the late night breeze

“You’ll catch your death” he warned in a low tone

Melody smirked

“Death will have to catch me first” she countered.

The couple suddenly became very aware of how close they stood to each other, their heads were lowered but as their eyes met, Mycroft raised his eyes, exactly as she did, both felt their own heart rates quicken to the point where they wondered if the person opposite could hear it.

The next few seconds passed with the speed of an entire hour.

Resting their foreheads against each other Melody was the one to close the space between them, his name a barely audible whisper past her lips. His fingers wrapped loosely around her left wrist, lifting her hand he pressed his lips to the inside of it, lips lingering over the pulsing blue veins making her heart stop and her cheeks flush and her knees grow weak.

As Mycroft bid her goodnight and turned to get into the car Melody took the concrete steps to the door, she loitered on the doorstep until the car was out of sight. 

After changing and preparing for bed she had just settled down on the sofa when Melody heard John and Sherlock return. Upon entering the flat, rather noisily, Sherlock gave a sniff, looking at Melody intently.

“You stink of him” he spat before storming off, slamming his bedroom door.

John sighed apologetically 

“Sorry, the case turned out to be a waste of time. In his opinion anyway”

Melody sat down on the sofa, smothering a yawn

“That’s alright”

John noticed that she was lost in thought, leaning against the backrest of the sofa, eyes growing heavier by the minuet.


	12. Burn, Burn, Burn To The Wick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moriarty reminds Melody who owns her

Several nights later

Mycroft sat up in bed, lifting his mobile phone to his ear

“Yes” he sighed tiredly, he’d hardly slept since his last interaction with Melody.

John spoke a moment later

“Yeah, you’d better get down here - It’s Melody...or rather, Moriarty.”

Mycroft slid out of the back of the Jaguar, approaching the flashing blue lights of police cars parked outside 221 Baker Street and police tape cordoned off the crime scene. DI Lestrade saw him approach and quickly made his way over to where Mycroft stood

“Didn’t expect to see you here.” He said loudly over the professional chatter of his colleagues

“Someone broke into the room while she was out, smashed the place up a bit but nothing that can’t be replaced but whoever it was left a message, she’s really shaken, won’t let anyone near her.”

Lestrade explained briefly

“Where is she?” he demanded

Lestrade debated asking why Mycroft would care, out of curiosity more than malice but answered his question cordially

“Upstairs in the flat.”

Lestrade’s expression turned sympathetic, ignoring it, Mycroft thanked him plainly before making his way into the building. 

Remembering that Sherlock and John were with her made Mycroft frown; if Sherlock had upset her any more than she probably already was…

Before he could finish this thought he stopped, the door was wide open and Mycroft immediately assessed the damage: the shelving unit at the end of the sofa was pulled away from the wall, severely damaged, Melody’s books were ripped and torn, the cat skull smashed (Stamped on by the looks of it was Mycrofts’ theory)

Even more disturbing, The words ‘ I WILL GET YOU. I OWN YOU’, were crudely painted in red across the walls opposite the sofa, clearly made to look like blood, along with a few crude doodles in the smale red paint - a red heart with an inverted M, a bland stick figure - meant to be female with a fresh bullet hole fire into the forehead, puncturing the wall. The culprit had obviously meant for it to represent Melody because they had taken the trouble to scrawl the figure's hair in orange, similar to Melodys’ hair.

Melody sat curled in Sherlock’s armchair, making herself as small as possible,with her eyes fixed in front of her. Sherlock’s impatience was evident as he scanned the words on the wall before looking back at Melody while John was crouched on the floor beside her, trying to comfort her. 

Seeing Mycroft enter, John got to his feet, shaking his head

“She hasn’t said anything since we got up here. I don’t think Sherlock losing his patience with her helped.” he told Mycroft before glaring daggers at Sherlock.

Mycroft pursed his lips in anger but spoke in a firm, controlled manner

“I see, thank you but I believe I can take things from here.” 

John went to move to the doorway, pausing to gesture to Melody

“I’ve got to go talk to Lestrad, she shouldn’t be left on her own.” he added with concern

Mycroft had been looking pointedly at Sherlock fixed John with a glare of his own

“She won’t be.” he growled.

After glancing between Sherlock, Mycroft and Melody, John went downstairs to where the police were waiting.

Mycroft went and sat in Johns’ chair opposite Melody, regarding her for a long, tense moment, she was dressed in black quarter length leggings, loose, off the shoulder navy blue top under a black knee length cardigan.

She was oale, frozen, unable to move. Practically catatonic.

Mycroft said her name loudly and waited for a reaction

"I’m beginning to think you have not offered the entirety of the truth. Clearly there is something you aren’t sharing, and unless you tell me what you know, I cannot help but come to the conclusion that you are deliberately withholding information. From both the police and a prominent government official, with the intent of doing Moriartys’ bidding after you’ve created a false sense of saftey."

Melody's head lifted her head sharply and her expression ignited with resentment...betrayal

'You don't truly believe that...? she beseeched silently

, Mycroft denied the internal instinct to recant his words after all he knew this wasn’t the case, it was wrong, it was unfair, but he needed to make her talk to him

he made sure to keep his voice sharp, acidic. 

"I suggest you tell me, unless I'm forced to bring you along to MI5 and have the information forced from you”

She flinched but he went on, knowing full well that he would never let his lies become truth 

“I shall say it one last time; is there something you wish to tell me?” Mycroft challenged, speaking slowly, dangerously. There was no need for Melody to know he could never envision himself harming her or allowing harm to come to her...he had to do this for her saftey.

Melody's expression approached fury before it regressed, at lightning speed to almost abject terror, she sat, trembling, fists clenched tightly, the rise and fall of her chest bordered on frantic.

Mycroft’s stony expression turned to confusion and then concern when she had paled, so much and so quickly that Mycroft moved about half an inch closer because he thought she would pass out

“Melody!” 

With that Sherlock spun and watched as Mycroft, in his concern, gently took her arms, avoiding the still healing gun-shot wound on her left arm he tried shaking her to try and bring her back to him. After a moment seemed to work, but when she raised her head to look at him he backed away slightly, in all his life he had never seen such terror, such horror in one person. 

She spoke in a low dead voice that turned his blood freeze in his veins

“My brother...” she trembled

Sherlock, quickly making deductions on the vulnerable woman as Mycroft frowned

“What are you talking about, you don’t have a brother…” Mycroft replied in confusion, raising her head she gave him a long, pained look. 

“ _ Moriarty _ is my brother…” she whimpered, Melody bolted before he could stop her

“Sherlock!” Mycroft grunted as she pushed past him, but the detective’s fingers just skimmed her arm as she avoided him and fled barefoot, from the room. 

  
  


Fight or flight....fight or flight...Melodys’ heart was hammering in her head, she had sprinted down the concrete steps and passed the group of police officers before they could register what was happening. 

Lestrade did a double take

“Oi, Melody!” he started as if he were about to follow, two officers had already tried but she’d darted around them

John stepped forward and put his hand out to stop the D.I 

“No,wait, don’t...don’t.” he insisted

Looking over at the doorway, the pair saw Mycroft and Sherlock standing there watching her run, her feet slapped loudly against the pavement, splashing through rain puddles as she turned the corner.

Shaking violently, chest heaving, throat dry, Melody tucked herself into an alleyway in the next street, without waiting to get her breath, she broke into sobs of despair. There it was, her deepest secret, which she had been withholding since she’d first reconnected with Mycroft and his brother, was now laid bare. She fell to her knees, back against the damp brick wall: there was no taking it back, nothing would fix this. 

Sherlock and John wouldn’t let this betrayal slide, they would surely kick her out, knowing her connection with Moriarty went deeper than previously thought.

And Mycroft...after everything she had done, all she had put him through...he’d absolutely want her to leave...there would be no choice but to go back to Moriarty on hands and knees...literally if the sadistic criminal mastermind had his way - which was more often than not.

With a wail only the most broken, hopeless of souls could emit, Melody began to tug and pull at the chain around her neck, she just wanted it OFF she wanted to be FREE!!

Exhausted, she let the unyielding chain go, she slumped against the wall, feeling the rain seep through her clothing, and drench her hair. Seconds later she felt the sharp patter of rain stop, yet it was still raining because it hammered down onto the ground surrounding her which could only mean

She rolled her head in order to look up at Mycroft, her expression was startlingly subdued as she met his gaze from under the cover of his umbrella  Tears rolled down her cheeks and Melody fell almost entirely limp with compliance. It was all she was good for after all.

Mycroft, now crouched at her level, offered her his hand

"May I take you back to 221B?"

Melody looked at him, startled yet her eyes were now empty and passive just as they had been during the first few weeks she had stayed at 221B, when the abuse and pain was still fresh, now it had all come back ten-fold in the span of under an hour.

Seeing her expression, Mycroft shifted, looking uncomfortable

“Perhaps going back to the flat isn’t a good idea” he admitted

Melody looked at him, shivering despite the cover his umbrella provided from the rain, taking his outstretched hand and allowed him to assist her to her feet.


	13. Back Over Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody reluctantly sheds light on her dark, horrifying past, starting from when the pair separated all those years ago.

Back Over Time,

Once Melody had dried off and changed clothes, Mycroft brought two cups of tea to the living room.

Now wearing one of his shirts, which almost reached her knees, and nothing else since he had nothing that would fit her lower half, Melody was standing admiring the shelves upon shelves of books, though her mind was clearly elsewhere. 

A massive shudder wracked her body, so hard that Melody almost stumbled. Mycroft stepped close to her and she moved silently into his arms which slowly encircled her smaller shaking frame. 

"Thank you," she breathed, leaning against Mycroft only until she could trust her legs to work properly

Mycroft made a soft sound of acknowledgement, holding her for a few more moments before guiding her to the sofa 

“Sit down” 

She did so and took a sip of her tea while Mycroft rose from lighting a small fire and moved to sit on the couch beside her

“I know you’re tired. But we still have things to discuss, you understand?” Mycroft reminded her gently. 

If you would explain, in your own time” he urged in a professional tone.

She nodded but was silent for a long time before thinking of an appropriate way to begin and 

Mycroft listened patiently as Melody told her story

“James Moriarty is my adoptive brother. My parents fostered him here in England when he was three, he was about five when I was born, unexpectedly. He was resentful for it and was always abusive towards me. He hurt me a lot while we're growing up.”

Melody paused then continued 

“H-h-he found me after hearing about my mother dying; he pretended he was sorry, that I would need someone to look after me after losing both my parents, I believed him, I thought perhaps he would be different now we were no longer children but, god I was so wrong. I was trained to do anything he asked of me; any favor, big or small, at any time. He made me into something he could control. Like a _pet._ ” 

She spat the word disdainfully while closing her eyes tightly as she relived the years of pain she’d suffered. 

“He wanted a test subject to try out some new form of psychological, emotional or physical torture…I was the lab rat. When one of his plans didn’t go well I was the punch bag he took out his anger on. After years of emotional, physical abuse…life almost wasn’t worth living, I almost wished he would kill me.” 

Melody swallowed thickly.

Mycroft stayed silent, unable to think of a thing to say, and not wanting to interrupt he let her continue

“I started to refuse to do as he said, and he had _this_ fitted. He would send on…errands, if I ever came close to running, telling someone or anything he didn’t like, he would use it, from trying to get away to playing Bach on the piano wrong..” 

Melody indicated the steel chain, her voice cracked but she forced herself to continue

“You abducted him, I know. Even during the weeks he was gone – being interrogated – still I couldn’t bring myself to run. I had no family, nowhere to go. He made me believe I could never escape, that if I left I would die shivering and starving in an ally because nobody wanted me” 

Her head rolled so that her chin was touching her chest, fiery orange hair falling over her face.

Mycroft wasn’t sure what to think or say, when he’d first met her he’d deduced that she had problems with siblings, but she never disclosed anything close to being drowned by an abusive older adopted sibling! And since parting ways her life had been filled with torment and abuse. He hadn’t known what to expect, but not this, _never_ this.

Melody asked him

“Did you think I was still involved? Is that the only reason you wanted my company, to confirm whether or not I was going to harm you?”

"None of our conversations were false, or forced, not in any way," he said simply.

"Certainly not on my part, I don’t waste my time with goldfish. Therefore if i had not wished to spend my time with you, i simply would not have"

Melody heard him inhale slowly. 

“Melody I have never been very good with people, relationships and sentiment have never been part of my world. 

However against my better instinct, against everything I’ve come to believe in, the desire to have you in my world has been…increasingly more difficult to ignore.” Mycroft confessed

Melody stared at him as though something inside her was breaking

“Mycroft, you-you can’t say such things...not if you expect me to go away…” she told him

Mycroft looked down

“What if I don’t?”

Melody shuddered, sighing

“You will, when you hear the rest” she choked

Mycroft met her gaze, shifting slightly closer

“Tell me.” he urged, he wasn’t telling her to leave now, so what else could she say, what more could she have done to make her feel that he would?

Melody suddenly got to her feet, wandering over to stand in front of the fire, staring into the flames

“When I was 15 he tried to drown me, then when our parents kicked him, he was 18, legally an adult that they couldn’t control anymore...and he disappeared. Then around the time you were preparing to graduate he reappeared, not living with us but I knew he was back from where he’d been, and then I found out I was pregnant...I wondered, if I told you, you might, I don't know...be able to help, to just get me away from him, but you were going to university, making your own way in life…”

Melody closed her eyes, unable to bear the expression Mycroft no doubt had on his face

“As soon as I knew you’d been accepted to the University you had wanted so badly, I just knew...I knew I could never ask, I couldn’t ruin your life as well as my own, my parents...they were so ashamed...” she lifted her hand, covered by the cuff of the borrowed shirt, to her lips.

Mycroft stood to stand beside her, his hand carefully sliding across to the curve of her lower back, the flames shimmered in her watery green eyes as Melody continued

“I told you I just...woke up and it had...happened...that, wasn’t entirely true” 

She tensed as Mycroft rubbed her back, trying to be comforting yet she new, in a few moments, he would rip his hand away like it was scorched by the flickering flames before them 

Melody sniffed miserably

“I’d actually woken in the middle of the night, maybe later i don’t know….Jim, he was in my room, he wasn’t supposed to be in my room, he grabbed my pillow from under my head...and put it over my face so that I couldn’t breath.” 

Melody put her fingers to her neck, recalling that choking feeling of being smothered to to brink of unconsciousness

“I passed out, next thing I knew, I’d woken up...there was so much blood, the baby had been deprived of oxygen too long, my body was able to handle it but...I only three months gone, almost four but...the, it-” Melody covered her face with her hands, remembering it as the most horrific day of her life.

She sobbed upon feeling Mycroft slowly step back, removing his hand from her back, running his hand over his face as he processed what Melody had just told him.


	14. Swam Without Looking Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Melody finds herself out of her depth, unwilling to bring Mycroft into the suffocating depths along with her, Melody does the only thing she knows will save her past love and everything he cares for.

In the time since Melody had tumbled to the floor writhing in agony against the electrified chain, each new piece of information she shared, each and every hint of Moriarty’s cruelty and his hold over her, it chipped away at the layer of ice he’d created around his heart, his ability to care for anyone, with each piece that was chipped away, the more vulnerable he felt he was becoming, now it felt as though the final piece of hardened frost he shielded himself with had been ripped away: leaving the pulsing, living organ many claimed he didn’t have, to be laid bare.

Melody hunched over, weeping into her cupped hands

“It’s the real reason my parents took me back to Japan, not just to get me away from Jim and to enroll me in a stricter school environment so that it didn;t happen again and they wouldn’t live with the shame of having a young, unwed mother as a daughter.” she said coldly.

Mycroft felt that it was now his resolve, rather than his heart that hardened and Melody startled as he wrapped his arms around her from behind

He felt he clinging to the arm,  _ desperately _ , holding it around her like a lifeline

“He’ll find me. He’ll find me and take me back, once he has taken you and Sherlock out of the equation…” she started, eyes suddenly fearful, her hand, which had reached his shoulder, gripped his jacket like a lifeline.

When he pulled further away, turning her firmly to face him, to look at her properly as his thumb grazed her cheekbone, which was flushed with emotion

“I won’t allow that to happen, I will make it so that he can never get to you…” he promised

Melody looked at him imploringly 

“I-, I can’t let you put yourself in harms’ way just for me…” she said, though there was barely any conviction in her tone. 

His features neutralized once more but he took her hand and led her back to the sofa. She took a sip of her now lukewarm tea, just to ease the dryness in her throat and to sooth her nerves.

Putting the cup back on the table she sighed unevenly, her hand was entwined with his on Mycrofts; knee

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t there, I shouldn’t have...I should have seen there was more going on, I should have taken you with me…” he said, with more emotion than Melody had ever heard from him.

She shook her head, snapping her head to meet his gaze, putting a hand to her his chest

“ _ Don’t _ , don’t do that...Mycroft. You weren’t to know, I should have been stronger, strong enough to ask for help when I had the chance…”

Speaking with a sudden firmness she somehow dug out from somewhere inside her

“There’s no point in regretting Mycroft, I would know, I’ve lived with it for a long time. Eventually you have to let it go or let it eat you alive from the inside out. I don’t want that for you…” she brought a hand to his cheek, bitten nails dragged, feather light, over his skin.

They couldn’t look away from each other, pent up emotion and tension simmering between them, beginning to bubble and rise closer and closer to the surface.

His mouth was unexpectedly soft, not firm or demanding as she had expected, and between the feeling of his lips on hers and she responded gingerly, but with growing confidence as an irrepressible need swamped everything else. 

Mycroft groaned as he felt her press against him to get even closer, kissing him back more fiercely, his hand untangled itself from hers and found its way to the back of her head, tangling within her copper colored hair. He pressed Melody between his body and the firm but comfortable backrest of the sofa, Melody pulling him closer, holding him tighter.

Her arms folded around his neck, fingers curling into his nape while her head was pushed between his shoulder and his neck, her mouth feather light against his skin, holding her close to him, surprisingly, he willingly surrendered and let her experiment for a while, letting her grow more confident with her actions. 

She latched on to him, like this, like  _ he _ , was the only thing holding her on the surface of an ocean of violent waves threatening to drag her under and never release her, yet she gripped his arm in a way that told Mycroft that she anticipated him tearing it away from her to let her drown.

He didn’t, he wouldn’t, never again.

Melody pulled back, slightly breathless, but he returned his mouth to hers, kissing her with a clearer, more deliberate hunger, practically tasting it on her in exchange, as his mouth explored her own.

In the two years they had shared together, back  _ then _ , they had only been intimate three times, the third being the last as well as being the time she had conceived the baby she would later lose. 

Still, time had passed since then, and so they grew bolder, and more excited by each others’ touch. He could feel her response to his touch and Mycroft wanted more to see and feel her as she was  _ now _ , now that they were older, more knowledgeable, if not more experienced, rather than the pair of shy, awkward young adults they had been back in college. 

Easing her onto her back and leaning over her, Mycroft positioned a knee between her thighs, two pairs of hands eagerly wandered as they pleased, lips caressing, flickering over skin, skin otherwise covered by their clothing, he shivered

“Melody” he sighed, holding her to him.

She unbuttoned the top four buttons of his shirt to slip a hand beneath to smooth elegant fingers wander over his chest, arching into him. With her knees bent, either side of his waist, Mycroft kissed her again, she almost went limp with relief when he did, and MYcrofts’ hand grazed up the length of her thigh to the leg space of her underwear...

Then he felt it, her entire body locked up, a sharp sound breaking free from her throat, and she ducked her head against his neck. Paying attention to her change in demeanor, Mycroft put a hand to her arm, stopping her, then he felt tears seep through closed her lids

“Melody” he repeated, trying to meet her gaze and taking her shoulders firmly to draw her away

She suddenly started to tremble, violently

“Sorry” she breathed

“Sorry I...I can’t, I...can’t…” she choked, clutching the front of his shirt, looking ashamed.

Mycroft pushed a section of hair as her features crumbled

“Alright, it’s alright” he told her, stroking her cheek 

Mycroft re-positioned them so that Melody was sat up, pressed against his side, leaning heavily against him for support. Still trembling and mumbling apologies, she tucked her legs up under her lower body, and Mycroft simply held her, rubbing her back and running his fingers through her hair, offering soft reassurances, promising that it didn’t matter, that they could, and would, stop.

After he had extinguished the small fire, shortly after Melody had calmed down and the pair simply sat talking, long into the night…

Apparently until they had fallen asleep because the next thing Mycroft knew, he had woken on the sofa, neck stiff, and Melody....gone.

A folded piece of paper lay on the table in front of him, picking it up Mycroft read through Melody’s carefully written note:

_ Mycroft… _

_ Please don’t think that I don’t trust you, that I don’t trust you to keep me safe, because I do. You make me feel safer and happier than I have in a very long time. It’s  _ _ him  _ _ I don’t trust. _

_ He will hurt you, and those closest to you in order to get to me, Your parents, Sherlock, anyone... I refuse to let that happen. I can’t be there to ask your permission, but I hope you will let me come back to you one day.  _

_ If I can. _

_ I’ll understand if not, you deserve a woman who is confident and strong, someone who won’t be putting your life, and your brothers in danger…I can’t be that person, not yet; but when I’m strong enough to run, to leave him, maybe I will be.  _

_ I think I understand what love feels like now, because love is the only think I can think of to describe the way I feel for you. And I think, in a way it’s always been you. Though I know you won’t believe that, and I expect you to have the exact, logical counter argument: how many millions of chances there are in the universe that two people can only be made for one another _

_ And that thought makes me smile.  _

_ All I can say is…thank you, for teaching me what I couldn’t learn alone...what love feels like, and what freedom can feel like.  _

_ I love you, always. – Melody _


	15. Silly, Silly Fools

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next time Mycroft saw Melody she was dead…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The events of the next few chapters follow the basic timeline of season 2 episode 1 - hence the lack of Sherlock and John involvement, because of Sherlocks' growing popularity and case solving etc. Hopefully it's still clear and concise enough to follow easily.

The next time Mycroft saw Melody she was dead…

or rather that was what he had thought.

While Moriarty was being held in prison while on trial for three simultaneous break-ins; Bank of England, Pentonville Prison and Tower of London, Moriarty’s penthouse flat was raided, and a young woman was found unconscious in a small room with only a thin mattress on the floor as furniture. Wearing just her underwear and a dirty, torn button down shirt several sizes too big for her malnourished form.

Wounds had been tended to, blood transfused and tubes had been inserted to provide her with the nutrition her body needed immediately. 

Melody shifted, her body stiff, her head was throbbing and her throat was sore…just like any other day. But when she opened her eyes she realized she was not at the flat, she heard someone say her name, on instinct her body forced itself to wake up, ready to protect itself...but as her head snapped in the direction of the voice she stopped

“Mycroft…”

Relaxing back into the soft pillows of the hospital bed, she took notice of the machines and tubes attached to her, 

“A few more hours and I doubt there would have been anything more anyone could do” Mycroft answered, he was sitting in a plastic chair next to her bed, leaning forward slightly. 

Melody huffed out a short laugh, at great expense to her ribs, the pain flared with a vengeance and she winced

“What’s the damage?” she asked, trying to sit up and failing.

Mycroft stopped her

“Don’t, you’re still weak. You’re malnourished and dehydrated, you have a broken wrist and three cracked ribs, as well as some other more minor injuries” Mycroft listed emotionlessly

Melody made a sound that clearly said she wasn’t surprised, but her eyes suddenly widened in terror, her hand flying up to her throat, grasping the chain around her neck.

Mycroft sighed slightly, placing a hand over hers and taking it away from her throat, his eyes meeting hers

“No one will say anything, no one will ask any questions, I’ve made sure of it” Mycroft assured, Melody’s brow furrowed in confusion

“Remarkable what a minor threat to someone’s job can do.” He smirked

Melody laughed weakly

“How long was I out for?” she asked, her memory still hazy

“four and a half days, it’s almost 1.00 in the afternoon.” Mycroft answered

Melody nodded once

“And how is everyone?” Melody asked

“The same as ever but if you insist I shall update you when you’re stronger.” Mycroft reassured, but she reached out to take his hand, forcing him to look at her

“Mycroft…about what happened, I’m  _ sorry  _ I left the way I did…” she started worriedly

He brushed some hair away from her face

“Later. Get some sleep” he insisted firmly but his thumb brushed over her knuckles comfortingly.

Over the next few days Melody grew stronger, but watched the coverage of Moriarty’s trial on television every day from her hospital room; she had sat biting her nails, refusing to eat after his acquittal and put back on a feeding tube, to Mycrofts’ frustration

“He won’t get near you. The device that activates the chain was found and I oversaw its destruction myself.” Mycroft assured.

Although filled with gratitude and relief that he couldn’t hurt her anymore…the chain still meant that he owned her, the key still hadn’t been found which meant Moriarty still had it…he still owned her, her mind, her body, and her soul. 

Despite her private fears, Melody was still making progress, she regained enough strength to sit up for longer periods of time, and Mycroft visited whenever his work would allow, when it didn’t he sent Anthea to deliver anything Melody needed or wanted during her extended stay. 

Melody spent three weeks in the hospital, recovering and gaining a suitable enough weight to please the doctors and nurses.

At last the day came when Mycroft told her she was being released

Melody snorted lightly

“Good, I’m sick of this place already” she replied, moving slowly she sat up, still sore but nothing close to the blind pain that had been there before

She rubbed her forehead, frowning with concern

“Only problem now is I haven’t got anywhere to go. I can’t stay at 221B again.” 

Mycroft uttered her name to gain her attention, once he had it he cleared his throat, unsure of how to proceed but did so anyway.

“The last time we…saw each other, some things were said…” he paused, meeting her gaze

Her features fell though she tried to disguise it 

“So you…you don’t…” she whispered, chuckling sadly

“I don’t blame you Mycroft. You deserve someone…well, someone better than me” she said

Mycroft however, interrupted

“Self-pity is rather unattractive on you my dear, you shouldn’t indulge in it” he scolded, causing her to look up,

“During your absence I tried constantly to put you out of my mind…it didn’t work, knowing you were most likely back with that…maniac. What he might be doing to hurt you…”

Mycrofts’ face contorting with anger

“The things that were said were true, at least on my part, and still remain so, perhaps even stronger than before” he admitted. 

Melody’s throat constricted as she smiled tearfully

“So, Mr Holmes, what would you suggest?” she quipped.

Upon being discharged, Melody moved in with Mycroft, he wanted to keep her close by, determined to fulfil his promise to keep her and until she could be free from Moriarty. 

With Sherlock and John busy solving cases left right and center for the next few weeks, they remained unaware that Melody was back in the picture once more, and both Melody and Mycroft were more comfortable with this, they were ‘finding their feet’ in a sense…getting used to being more than acquaintances again. 


	16. Dive Down Deep, To Save My Head

The worlds’ most dangerous criminal mastermind was dead: the notion that Sherlock’s identity as a fraud had been demolished and restored with the truth…and Melody was free. 

After overseeing the removal of James Moriarty’s body, Mycroft slid into the backseat of his town car, tomorrow the news of Sherlock’s ‘death’ would be printed in the press and Sherlock would be out of London, out of the country by nightfall.  He slid the key, on its long heavy chain, into his jacket pocket - he had pulled the chain from Moriarty’s neck himself.

He returned to find Melody lying across the middle of the bed reading, as soon as she sees him she gets to her feet to stand next to the bed: a nervous habit she had yet to break but Mycroft doesn't acknowledge the unconscious action

“It’s done” he clarified

“There’s nothing more I can do for him now. He’s…on his own, until he can dismantle Moriarty’s criminal web, to the rest of the world, Sherlock Holmes is dead.”

She nods and a stretch of silence follows as Mycroft sit down heavily on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands, Melody moves slowly to sit beside him

“I’m sorry it came to this Mycroft. I  _ am _ .” She said, not knowing what else to say

Mycroft inhaled and straightened his back

“Melody there’s something else…He’s dead, Moriarty shot himself before Sherlock…before Sherlock jumped.” 

She doesn’t speak, but he can tell she is unsure of how to react to the information, so he takes the key from his pocket and presses it into her hand. In silence, she turns it slowly through her fingers, tears well up in the corners of her eyes. 

Her eyes close for a moment before she takes his hand, pressing the key back into his palm. 

But what she does next is a shock. 

She slid down to kneel on the carpet by his feet and move his fingers so that they closed tightly around the cold steel key and she presses lingering kisses to his knuckles, mumbling repeatedly against his skin

_ “Thank you”  _

He utters her name in awe, he knows what she’s doing, and it leaves him speechless. It's only when she stills, her grip tightens and he feels tears running down her cheeks he puts a stop to it.

Getting to his feet he grasps her shoulders and pulls her gently to her feet, brushing away her tears with the pad of his thumb

“No more tears my dear. Not over him, he can’t hurt you, he will not hurt you ever again” he reassured

Melody couldn't help but smile, relief washing through her veins making her feel pleasantly light-headed and Mycroft, twatching her smile at him again, felt an overpowering but unexpected sensation in his chest, he stared at her, not allowing his gaze to waver.

Seeking her mouth with his own, Mycroft's arms slid around her back, pulling her against his chest He felt her hands move beneath his jacket to rest on his spine and stay there, enfolding him as an unanticipated heat erupted through him like he’d never experienced before and his arms closed tighter around her, eliciting a soft moan from her, with coherent, detached thought being a distant concept, they allowed the wave of exhilarating desire to lead their actions, guide their need to feel each other, and to give and take all at once.

The need for oxygen burnt his lungs and Mycroft pulled away reluctantly, as though he would never have the chance to kiss her this way ever again,, still leaning into her he closed his eyes and breathed as she clung to him and did the same. 

Mycroft lifted a hand, brushing her jaw with his thumb

“Are you sure you want to…if we proceed much further I may not be able to stop.” He whispered to her.

Her head rolled into his touch. Whatever she decided, there would be no going back from it, and Melody's heart was already racing when she slid her arms around his neck, he allowed her to pull him close

"If you wish to, now  _ would _ be the time to." he said between heated kisses 

"Perhaps the last chance you might have." still they continued to unite their mouths, again and again.

The exchanges finally slowed and came to a pause. Melody swallowed, looking up with a silent question in her expression 

His skin was cool in comparison to hers forehead pressed to her temple

“To ask. Ask now, and I’ll stop” he clarified, resisting the urge to test the flesh of her neck with his teeth

Melody put a hand to the back of his head, drawn him even closer, feeling how tense he was

"I’m not asking you to stop, Mycroft" she stated firmly

“Not this time, not ever again” she vowed

That was all it took for her to bring things shattering down around them.

Mycroft cupped her jaw with his free hand, kissing her again, slowly but with growing eagerness as he let his apprehensions start to slip away.

Putting a hand to his cheek, her mouth became more insistent, even determined, and with this reassurance which she offered so freely, so willingly, Mycroft Holmes finally allowed himself, allowed his mind to spiral and be driven by desire and instinct.

The pair had made their way back to the bed, clothing was peeled away and dropped to the floor, hands and mouths exploring at will.

When Melody tried to shy away, self-conscious of the scars her horrific life with her adoptive brother had left her with, he stopped her. 

Melody slowly moved to lie on her back, gasping as Mycroft pressed his mouth to her torso, creating a path upwards, between her breasts, up her sternum as her moans and sighs urged him to continue, Mycroft leant up to hover over her, only to be pulled down into a long passionate kiss.

Mycroft leant on his elbows, so that he could look upon her face, which was flushed, filled with anticipation but re;axed and, with a hand making its way down to her collar bone, let his fingers slide between the skin of her neck and the thick chain she still wore, his sharp eyes caught the faint difference in skin tones from its normal shade to where the chain had been in place for years.

Her reaction was fascinating, extraordinary... she shivered, tilting her head back, eyes rolling closed, lips parted as she breathed deeply; the feeling of physical, gentle contact where there had once been only harsh metal and the threat of pain, was practically, if not completely, euphoric. 

Inserting the key into the lock, it took no effort to have the padlock click and open. Mycroft eased the chain away, straightening his back. But their eyes remained focused on each other as Mycroft let the chain slip from his fingers and drop to the carpeted floor with a dull thud. 

Lifting his hand, he strokes away every single her hair that was stuck to her neck, and a sharp intake of breath was her only response, the residual marks of her past pain and torture will heal, he knows. 

If she desires, later down the line, he will pay for cosmetics, surgery whatever she wanted if she ever wished to hide the scars, but the need to assure her that they don’t bother him shoved the offer to one side for him to tuck away for another, more appropriate time. He dominates the kiss on instinct, but, knowing of her past, he did attempt to restrain himself. 

Yet amid all of this, as they give in to their bodies instinct, desire, and the hedonistic  _ need  _ to touch, to unify and bring each other to completion over and over again, Melody finds that that, here, now for him... _ with _ him and him alone, she is more than happy to submit.


	17. EPILOGUE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If I had To Perish Twice..

**EPILOGUE;**

Mycroft’s living room held an oddly domestic scene, one he never envisioned for himself, the political pages of the newspaper were folded so that he could hold them easily in one hand, while the fingers of his other hand caressed and played with Melody’s hair while she lay on her back with her head resting on his thigh. 

While he was still the same as ever, Mycroft Holmes; the Iceman of the british government,. he was no longer lonely; he had someone who accepted him just as he was…just as she had all those years ago, and he didn’t plan on ever letting that, letting her, go again - so long she wished it, she would be at his side.

“Have you thought about what I said?” he asked with unusual nervousness.

A smirk tweaked in the corner of her mouth, appearing to ignore his question

“I have” she said eventually, leaning her head back to look up at him

Mycrofts’ eyes met hers insistently

“And?”

Melodys gaze became reflective, she lowered the book to her chest and stared into space for a moment

“Do I want to become Mrs. Iceman?” she mused for several long, near agonizing moments.

Sitting up and placing her book on the table Melody slowly turned to face him, reciting her next words from memory

“And...I say…” 

She moved slowly so that she was kneeling slightly higher than him

“…that...‘ _some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted_

 _of desire I hold with those who favor fire’_ …”

With her eyes never leaving his she moved to straddle his lap

“… _’but if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate_ …” she continued

“… _’to say that for destruction...ice Is also great’_ …” she breathed lightly

“ _and would suffice_ ” 

Their lips met and Mycroft knew he had his answer, and he was happy, truly happy.

**Author's Note:**

> I've read many Sherlock fics during my time in the fandom, not to mention the fanfictions in general I've read, so some inspiration my have been taken from these however any similarities etc is not intended as malicious or copyrighted. Any recognizable aspects etc from other works are fully credited to it's original poster :)


End file.
